Olympique Marseille's President faces a 15-match ban for expressing resentment against low standards of officiating

Marseille president Pablo Longoria has received a 15-match ban after expressing his strong opinions regarding officiating in Ligue 1. Following his team’s 3-0 loss to Auxerre, which included some contentious calls and resulted in his side finishing with 10 players, Longoria voiced concerns about the integrity of the league, suggesting that improvements are needed to enhance the overall quality of the Ligue One.

The referee’s union in France promptly addressed Longoria’s comments, leading to his apology. As a consequence, he will face a ban from official activities at Stade Velodrome, which will prevent him from being on the bench, visiting the dressing room, or accessing the pitch.

De Zerbi set to leave Ligue One 

Additionally, Marseille advisor Fabrizio Ravenelli, expressed his concerns regarding referee Jeremy Stinat's decisions, will also serve a three-match suspension. Both sanctions are scheduled to take effect after the meeting with Nantes on Sunday, March 4.

De Zerbi is determined to avoid further controversy after the disappointing loss to Auxerre. Following the match, the former Brighton boss made it clear that he will not coach in France again. He emphasized that there is a significant issue within the French championship, and if the French are content with the current level of decision-making, then that’s on them. He expressed strong disapproval of the refereeing, labelling the decision as scandalous.

"I'm Italian, and after OM I'm not going to coach in France again. There's a problem in the French championship, if French people are happy with this level of decision-making, then good for them. But today it was scandalous. The referee was not in this match because of all the controversy surrounding him," De Zerbi said.

Marseille is positioned second in the Ligue 1 standings with just 11 games remaining. Champions League qualification is all but secured, yet Paris Saint-Germain leads the table with a formidable 13-point advantage.